Saturday, March 24, 2012


Something beautiful and wonderful is coming to Washington DC!  The Japanese Imperial collection of the famed artist, Itō Jakuchū, will be on display at the National Gallery of Art from March 30 to April 29, 2012.  The set of paintings, titled the Colorful Realm of Living Beings, comes to the United States in celebration of the 100 year anniversary of Japan's gift of the beautiful cherry trees to our nation's capital.  One of the world's most treasured sets of scrolls, Colorful Realm is masterful and stunning beyond belief, a true testament to the marvelous talent of Jakuchū.    


Itō Jakuchū
Peonies and Butterflies 
(J. Shakuyaku gunchō zu), c. 1757 (Hōreki 7)
ink and color on silk, from Colorful Realm of Living Beings 
(J. Dōshoku sai-e), set of 30 vertical hanging scrolls, 
c. 1757–1766
Sannomaru Shōzōkan (The Museum of the Imperial Collections), 
The Imperial Household Agency